Side-by-side comparison · Productivity & Notes
Shortwave vs Smartsheet vs Todoist
Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.
Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.
At a glance
Pick it if: Busy Gmail and Google Workspace users who want AI to search, sort and draft their email.
Pick it if: Operations, PMO and project teams who think in spreadsheets and need Gantt charts, reports and approvals.
Pick it if: Anyone who wants a dependable task list that is fast to use and stays out of the way.
Overview
| Attribute | Shortwave | Smartsheet | Todoist |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | AI email app for Gmail that searches, sorts, drafts and acts on your inbox for you. | Spreadsheet-style project tracking with AI for formulas, summaries and dashboards. | A simple to-do list that works everywhere and understands plain-English due dates. |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Paid | Freemium |
| Starting price | $18/mo | $9/member/mo | $7/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | No | Yes |
| Works with Claude Code | No | Yes | Yes |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | Shortwave | Smartsheet | Todoist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.2 | 3.7 | 4.3Winner |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 4.0 | 3.5 | 5.0 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together. | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 4.5 | 4.0 | 3.5 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 4.0 | 3.0 | 4.5 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.5 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | Shortwave | Smartsheet | Todoist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | Yes | No | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Browser extension | – | – | Yes |
| API access | – | Yes | Yes |
| Teams & business | |||
| Team workspace | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | – | Yes | No |
| Connects to other apps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Open source or self-hosted | No | No | No |
| AI abilities | |||
| Works with your files | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Understands images | – | – | No |
| Makes images | No | No | No |
| Makes video | No | No | No |
| Writes code | – | – | No |
| Runs agents or automations | Yes | No | No |
| Learns your brand or style | Yes | – | No |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Capabilities score | 9/ 17 | 8/ 17 | 9/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | Shortwave | Smartsheet | Todoist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | Free Free Trying it on your Gmail inbox. | Pro $9/member/mo billed yearly ($12 monthly) Individuals and small teams of up to 10. | Beginner Free Anyone with a simple list. |
ProOur pick $18/mo Individuals who use the AI daily. | BusinessOur pick $19/member/mo billed yearly ($24 monthly) Teams running several projects together. | ProOur pick $7/mo, or $5/mo billed yearly Anyone who wants more projects and the calendar view. | |
Business $30/seat/mo Teams who share threads and need more AI. | Enterprise Custom Larger organisations needing admin and security controls. | Business $10/user/mo, or $8/user/mo billed yearly Small teams sharing a workspace. | |
Premier $45/seat/mo Heavy users with complex email workflows. | Advanced Work Management Custom PMOs managing large portfolios. | ||
Max $120/seat/mo People who live in email all day. | |||
| Which plan to pick | Start on Free for a week to see if you like the app. Pro is enough for most individuals; pick Business only if you share threads with a team. Every paid plan has a 14-day free trial. | Business is where Smartsheet's reporting and approvals pay off for a team. Pro suits one person or a very small team. Use the 30-day trial on a real project before you commit to a yearly plan. | Beginner is fine until you hit the five-project wall. Pro on the yearly plan is the obvious move after that. Business is for teams who want a shared space; it is not a substitute for a real project tool. |
Key features
| Attribute | Shortwave | Smartsheet | Todoist |
|---|---|---|---|
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Pros and cons
| Attribute | Shortwave | Smartsheet | Todoist |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | Shortwave | Smartsheet | Todoist |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, Shortwave, Smartsheet or Todoist?
Todoist scores highest overall in our ratings (Shortwave 4.2/5, Smartsheet 3.7/5 and Todoist 4.3/5). Shortwave is best for finding old emails by describing them and clearing a cluttered Gmail inbox quickly. Smartsheet is best for Replacing Excel project trackers and gantt charts with dependencies. Todoist is best for personal task management and recurring reminders.
Which is cheaper, Shortwave, Smartsheet or Todoist?
Shortwave: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $18/mo. Smartsheet: There's no free plan. Paid plans start at $9/member/mo. Todoist: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $7/mo.
Which is easier to use, Shortwave, Smartsheet or Todoist?
Todoist rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Anyone who wants a dependable task list that is fast to use and stays out of the way.
How we compare
Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.
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